Monday 10th October

An improvement in the weather today, with lighter winds and generally drier and sunnier after yesterday’s wind and rain. It was an action-packed day for the various birders resident and visiting as they watched the classic late autumn migration of Whooper Swans and the return of huge numbers of wintering geese along with a few other goodies.

Redwings were reported by Ed Burrel on the Oa this morning and later his first Greenland White-fronted Goose of the winter down at Cornabus along with a single Wheatear. The Barnacle Geese were piling in to Loch Gruinart this morning too. James How counted 10,285, plus 50 Greenland white-fronts, 32 Brent Geese, two Pink-footed Geese and a Todd’s type Canada Goose there. With them, coming down the loch from the north were 21 Whooper Swans. Visitors Scott & Ruby confirmed “Endless flocks of Barnies coming in down Gruinart” at the same time, later commenting it was an experience of a life-time and were especially pleased as they’d visited 4 times previously and never coincided with this very special spectacle. While the Barnies came in and mostly settled, many of the Whooper Swans were passing straight through. Steve and Lynn Rogers had 37 south over Kilnaughton Bay; other visiting birders reported flocks from elsewhere across Islay: a family group of 6 from at Bowmore (plus another flock of 15 Brent Geese) seen by Mick Highfleid; and another group of 5 at Emirivale. In the afternoon Richard Belter checked out loch Skerrols to find over 100 Whooper Swans there (plus 15 Greenland White-fronted Geese),  then James how counted a whopping 157 on the flats at Gruinart this evening which may settle here for the night? So maybe 300 Whoopers today??

Some of the other birds sighted today includes Gary Turnbull’s record of a pair of Canada/Barnacle Goose hybrids at Bridgend, White-tailed Eagles and Hen Harriers dotted about the Island and on Jura, seen by various birders. The female Marsh Harrier appeared at Bridgend and Merlins were seen over at Kinnabus by David Dinsley and at Ballygrant by Morag King who’d been over on Jura and seen a lovely Great Northern Diver plus Otters. Richard Belter was watching at Blackrock this afternoon and counted 4 Scaup, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers and 6 Common Scoter.